[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 594 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 594

  To promote coastal jobs creation, promote sustainable fisheries and 
  fishing communities, revitalize waterfronts, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 2011

   Mr. Pallone (for himself and Ms. Pingree of Maine) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
  Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To promote coastal jobs creation, promote sustainable fisheries and 
  fishing communities, revitalize waterfronts, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coastal Jobs Creation Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to provide employment opportunities for 
coastal communities by increasing support for--
            (1) cooperative research and monitoring;
            (2) the revitalization of coastal infrastructure;
            (3) recreational fishing registry programs;
            (4) marine debris removal; and
            (5) restoration of coastal resources.

SEC. 3. COASTAL JOBS CREATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Commerce (in this Act referred 
to as the ``Secretary'') shall use funds made available under this Act 
to implement a Coastal Jobs Creation Grant Program using the 
authorities listed in subsection (b). The Secretary shall expend such 
funds as quickly as possible consistent with prudent management.
    (b) Authorities.--The authorities referred to in subsection (a) are 
authorities under the following laws:
            (1) Section 306A of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 
        (16 U.S.C. 1455a).
            (2) Section 315(e) of the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 
        U.S.C. 1461(e)).
            (3) Section 204 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act (16 
        U.S.C. 6403).
            (4) Section 12304 of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean 
        Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3603).
            (5) Section 318 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
        Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1867).
            (6) Section 401(g) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
        Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1881(g)).
            (7) Section 3 of the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, 
        and Reduction Act (33 U.S.C. 1952).
            (8) Section 408 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 
        (16 U.S.C. 1421f-1).
            (9) Section 311 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 
        U.S.C. 1442).
            (10) Section 205 of the National Sea Grant College Program 
        Act (33 U.S.C. 1124).
    (c) Activities.--Activities funded under the Coastal Jobs Creation 
Grant Program shall include the following:
            (1) Cooperative research to collect and compile economic 
        and social data related to recreational and commercial 
        fisheries management.
            (2) Cooperative research to identify habitat areas of 
        particular concern and for habitat restoration and 
        conservation.
            (3) Improving the quality and accuracy of information 
        generated by the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey.
            (4) Establishment and implementation of State recreational 
        fishing registry programs.
            (5) Training and deploying observers authorized or required 
        under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
        Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
            (6) Preservation or restoration of coastal resources 
        identified for their conservation, recreational, ecological, 
        historic, or aesthetic values.
            (7) Redevelopment of deteriorating and underutilized 
        working waterfronts and ports.
            (8) Research and monitoring within the National Estuarine 
        Research Reserve System, the National Marine Sanctuary System, 
        and coral reef ecosystems, and under the National Sea Grant 
        College Program.
            (9) Implementation of local strategies developed by State 
        or Federal agencies to conserve coral reef ecosystems.
            (10) Research to develop, test, and deploy innovations and 
        improvements in coastal and ocean observation technologies.
            (11) Cooperative research to collect data to improve, 
        supplement, or enhance fishery and marine mammal stock 
        assessments.
            (12) Cooperative research to assess the amount and type of 
        bycatch and to engineer gear types designed to reduce bycatch.
            (13) Reducing and preventing the occurrence and adverse 
        impacts of marine debris on the marine environment and 
        navigation safety.
    (d) Funding Criteria.--The Secretary may not make funds available 
under this Act for a proposed project unless the project, to the 
maximum extent practicable--
            (1) provides the greatest employment opportunities for 
        coastal communities and benefits commercial and recreational 
        fishing industries;
            (2) replicates or builds upon a successful local, State, 
        Federal, or tribal project;
            (3) utilizes existing fishing community infrastructure, 
        including idled fishing vessels;
            (4) supports research and monitoring that improves science-
        based management decisions; or
            (5) contributes to restoring, protecting, or preserving 
        coastal and ocean ecosystems.
    (e) Guidelines.--Within 30 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall develop guidelines necessary to implement the 
Coastal Jobs Creation Grant Program.

SEC. 4. AMENDMENT OF MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND 
              MANAGEMENT ACT.

    Section 401(g) of Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1881(g)) is amended by redesignating 
paragraph (4) as paragraph (5), and by inserting after paragraph (3) 
the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) Funding.--The Secretary, subject to the availability 
        of appropriations, shall enter into contracts with, or provide 
        grants to, States for the purpose of establishing and 
        implementing a registry program to meet the requirements for 
        exemption under paragraph (2).''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    To carry out the Coastal Jobs Creation Grant Program there is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce $80,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016, of which no more than 5 
percent may be used each fiscal year for administrative expenses of 
such program.
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